Houston: Knicks have replacement for Larranaga

The Erie Insurance Charity Challenge donated $1,000 to the Allan Houston Foundation on Monday at the Kawkha Club. Houston is pictured second from the left, Jay Larranaga, far left, who confirmed he'll be working as an assistant with the Boston Celtics, was at the golf event along with Chris Sinnott, the brother of Erie mayor Joseph E. Sinnott and Erie BayHawks lead local investor Owen McCormick (far right). Photo by Duane RankinERIE TIMES-NEWS

Jay Larranaga shook a lot of hands Monday at the Erie Insurance Charity Challenge at the Kahkwa Club.

Congratulations were certainly in order.

Larranaga confirmed he'll be an assistant for the Boston Celtics after two seasons as the head coach of the Erie BayHawks.

"It's an opportunity to work for one of the most famous and most successful franchises in NBA history and to work for one of the best coaches in the world (in Doc Rivers)," Larranaga said.

Larranaga, 37, said he's heading to Boston on Friday.

The Erie Times-News first reported the news in August.

"I think the Celtics first had interest in me when they bought Maine as a D-League team (in June of this year) and started having more and more interest in the D-League and looking at the different coaches in the D-League," Larranaga said.

BayHawks general manager Allan Houston, who also participated in Monday's golf event, said he has agreed to a head coach to replace Larranaga, but he declined to say who the new coach is.

"There are a lot of procedures that we are in the middle of, but we have come down to our finalist," Houston said. "We're very happy, very excited."

Houston, who is also the assistant general manager of the New York Knicks, did say Erie's new coach has coached in the D-League.

A hybrid affiliate of Erie, the Knicks run the basketball operations of the BayHawks.

"I'm sure Erie (majority owner Steve Demetriou and lead local investor Owen McCormick) and the Erie community will be very happy," Houston said.

This will be the first head coach Houston has ever hired.

"It was a great experience," he said. "It was tough because you have a lot of people who are very experienced. Very qualified people. Passionate people.

"Guys who I thought would have had an excellent plan and system for us, but when you sit down with someone, you have to evaluate what you believe is going to be best."

Houston also said Erie will retain Ben McDonald as an assistant. McDonald has been the assistant for the BayHawks in all four years of their existence.

As excited as Houston is about moving forward, he expressed happiness for Larranaga.

"I think he's going to have a great career," Houston said. "He was very good at challenging the players to get better."

Larranaga said Austin Ainge, the son of Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, was instrumental in his joining the Celtics.

Austin Ainge coached Maine for two seasons before becoming Boston's director of player personnel last year.

"I'm going to be an assistant coach behind the bench," Larranaga said. "I believe my focus will be working under or alongside (Celtics assistant) Kevin Eastman and helping their young players to develop."

The son of Miami (Fla.) men's basketball head coach Jim Larranaga, Jay Larranaga, compiled a 60-40 record with Erie.

Larranaga had a year remaining on his contract with the BayHawks after leading them to the D-League playoffs in each of his two seasons.

"So many positive memories," Larranaga said. "The only disappointing thing about this is having to leave Erie. I had a great job in a great town and worked for a lot of great people."

Larranaga was back in Erie after working for former NBA head coach Mike Fratello as an assistant for the Ukrainian senior men's national team in the qualifying round for the 2013 European Championships.

"It was awesome," Larranaga said when asked about working with Fratello. "It may have been the most educational coaching experience of my life."

Ukraine qualified for the 2013 European Championships after finishing 6-2.

DUANE RANKIN can be reached at 878-2210 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/DuaneRankin.